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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Urgent appeal to trade unions and human rights organisations around the world to join our protest

From the National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers of Iran:

A summons for the administration of a flogging and fine sentence has now been issued for Mr Tayyeb Chatani, another of the workers arrested for participating in the May 1st event last year. Mr Chatani is an employee of Par Rees factory, where he is an active shop steward.

Eleven of the workers arrested for taking part in the May 1st event last year in Sanandaj, Iran, were sentenced to 91 days in prison and 10 strikes of the lash. Following widespread protests against these sentences by the workers concerned and the National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers, the Appeal Court changed the prison sentences to monetary fines, but upheld the sentence of 10 lashes. So far, the lashing and fine sentences have been carried out in the case of three workers by the names of Seddigh Amjadi, Habibollah Kalekaani and Faares Gaviliaan. The only crime of these workers is having participated in the May Day ceremony in Sanandaj.

Following the verdict of the Appeal Court and the administration of the medieval sentences of lashing in the case of three of the workers, the National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers widely disseminated the news of this incident, and via a letter to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), registered its complaint with the ILO, expressing its strong protest at the medieval sentence of flogging. Also, since the execution of the lashing sentences, public opinion [circles], lawyers and many personalities in Iran have protested at the flogging of these workers.

Nevertheless, the judicial authorities of Iran are persisting with the execution of these sentences, and, as mentioned, have now issued a summons for Tayyeb Chatani.

Mr Chatani and the seven other workers do not intend to report to the court for the execution of the sentence; so they may be arrested and the sentences may be carried out at any moment.

Members of the National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers in Sanandaj, as well as workers of Shahoo Factory, along with their families, have decided to assemble outside the court should these workers be detained for the sentences to be carried out.

Fellow workers, labour and human rights organisations around the world!

We appeal to you, to your conscience and humanity, to join our protest. We call on you not to let workers be flogged for taking part in May 1st events. The issuing and execution of the sentence of lashing for workers in Iran for taking part in May Day celebrations is a lash on May Day; a lash on the honour of this day; a lash on the honour of worker.

Please join us and do not let the honour of May Day be trampled on by the official sentence of lashing by the judicial authorities in Iran. Join us and demand, on a world scale, the immediate revoking of the sentences of lashing for workers in Iran.